Sunset Beach, St. Catharines

Charles Daley Park, North Service Road,
Jordan - west of Seventh Street

Drive into Charles Daley Park and take the right lane up to the parking lot and then walk down the stairs to our gathering beside the pavilion, on the lawn. The beaches are CLOSED due to high water. There are a few wheelchair parking spaces - when you enter the gate, go to the left branch straight toward the lake. There is an accessible boardwalk.

Ryerson Park, Niagara-on-the-Lake

The Sunset Beach, St. Catharines and Ryseron Park, NOTL events will be cancelled if it rains because there is no shelter.

More Important Information

Bring a drum, a pot - or anything to shake & rattle!

The Summer Solstice the longest day of the year, has long been held in high esteem by many societies around the world. Join our community drumming circle to celebrate this day. There are no benches or seats, so bring a lawn chair or blanket if you'd like to sit, but be prepared to dance!

This family event was started by Carla Carlson, the owner of Niagara Nature Tours. The first event was held at Port Dalhousie's Lakeside Park in 1998 and has grown to become a gathering of over 300 people. Our drumming circles flow off the sidewalk which allows for participants in scooters and wheelchairs to take part.

It has become a wonderful, magical experience, despite parking challenges. Lakeside Park is closed this year (2017) and we have re-located to Sunset Beach in St. Catharines. There is no shelter here so if there is heavy rain or thunderstorms, the event will be cancelled.

In 2009, we expanded our Drumming Down the Sun to the neighbouring beach at Charles Daley Park in Jordan (Town of Lincoln) to give families the choice of beaches to attend. Parking is easier here but there is a bit of a walk to get to the beach. Lincoln's lovely sandy Lake Ontario beach has a grassy verge which provides accessibility for participants in scooters and wheelchairs. The beaches are closed this year and we are re-locating to the lawn area beside the pavilion.

Thanks to Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Loretta Pietrobon we expanded to NOTL in 2014. The drummers whoattended that first year discovered that you can't see the sun set from the beach we had chosen, making "drumming down the sun" kind of hard! Since then we've been meeting at Ryerson Park, Niagara Blvd., NOTL, where we will conduct our celebration in the grassy park above the actual stony beach. If it rains, this venue is cancelled because there is no shelter.

One Solstice, One Lake, Three Beaches

Co-ordinated by Carla Carlson, Niagara Nature Tours

4th Tour FREE!

Book 3 tours with Niagara Nature Tours within a calendar year and receive a 4th trip free!*

* Depending on the tour chosen, the 4th tour may either be free or at a very discounted rate.